The Dom Raja of Varanasi, Jagdish Chaudhary, died on Tuesday (August 25). He was 55 and had been ailing for some time.
Soon after the news of his demise Prime Minister expressed grief over the incident. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, PM Modi wrote in Hindi, ''Extremely saddened by the demise of Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary of Varanasi. He settled in the culture of Kashi and was the conductor of the Sanatan tradition there. He worked for social harmony throughout his life. May God give peace to his soul and give the family the strength to bear this suffering.''
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 25, 2020
The Dom Raja was one of the proposers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also condoled the death of the Dom Raja and called it a major loss.
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) August 25, 2020
The Dom Raja of Kashi, as the head of his Chaudhary clan, which considers itself the most exalted among the Dom sub-castes, is considered the chief keeper of the fire burning uninterrupted at Varanasi`s Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats, which are reserved for cremation.
It is believed that if the pyre is lit by the Dom Raja`s clan, the dead achieve salvation.
